Clothes-reel.



J. T. PILKINGTON.

CLOTHES REEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNB13,1913.

Patented D60. l, 1914.

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CLOTHES REEL.

APPLICATION FILED J'UNE13,1913.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

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J. T. PILKINGTON.

CLOTHES BEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNI: 1a, 1913.

W/T/VESSES J. T. PILKINGTON.

CLOTHES REEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1913.

Patented Deo. 1, 1914.

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JOHN THOMAS PILKINGTON, OF ENDERBY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 STEPHEN LELLMAN, OF ENDERBY, CANADA;

CLOTHES-REEL.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Application ala :rune 1s, 1913. seriai No. 773,465.

[o all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN T. PILKINGTON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Enderby, in the Province of lBritish Columbia and Dominion of Canada,

them into vertical alinement whereby the reel may be run through a doorway or be conveniently placed onv a veranda or in compact form adjacent to a building.

It is a further design-of my invention to providey novel means for elevating the respective arms on the main post or standard.

It is also a design of my invention to improved in various particulars devices of the ygeneral character indicated, to the end that eliciency in operation may be promoted as well as economy'in manufacture and simplicity of adjustment and control.

rIhe distinguishing features of my invention and the improved structural elements characterizing the practical embodiment which is illustrated as an lexample will be more particularly explained in the specific description following.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clothes reel embodying my invention, dotted lines indicating a raised position of the arms;

Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary verticalsection on a larger scale, parts being broken out; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the sliding members to which the arms are secured; Figs. 7-8 and 9 are details to be hereinafter referred to; 4Figs. 10, 11, 12 illustrate a modification; Fig. 13 is a fragmentary detail, in plan view of a modiiied arrangement of guide pulleys; vand Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the parts shown inv Fig. 13.

In' constructing a clothes reel to embody my invention .in accordance with the illustrated example, a base 10 is provided on which the main post or standard 11 is supported, the base desirablybeing formed of radially extending arms secured to the post by brackets 12 andbolts 12a.

A series of endless clothes lines 13, 13a, a

13", here illustrated as-three in number, are carried by radial arms14, 15, 16, the arms 'for each of the clothes lines being arranged 1n pairs, the arms of each pair being diametrically opposite. The arms are secured to vertically ysliding supports 17 18, 19 litted in vertical series on the mainp'ost 11.

In order to elevate the clothes lines, a telescoping post section 20 is sleeved o'n the main post'11, and is adapted to be raised and lowered by a lift bar 21 fitted within thel .post 11 and having guided movement by suitable guides such as elements 2,4. The lift bar is actuated byia rope 22 which is wound on the reel 23. The upper end of the telescoping post section 2O has a` cap 25preferably formed with acentral bearing 26 yagainst which al bearing ball 27 on thelift bar 21 has a bearing when the elevating slide 21 is raised by the rope 22. The result is that the cap will be raised by the said lift bar and will carryvupward the post section 20. In order that the upward movement of the telescopingL post ysection 2O will successively raise the arms 14, 15, etc., and their respective clothes lines, each slide support 17, 1S, 19, is provided with spaced collars 28, 29, 30, there being an upper and a lower collar on each slide, one of which is adapted to be engaged by collars 31, 32, 33, onv the telescoping section 20. Thus the uppermost collar l31 on the telescoping sections will engage the lower collar 28 on the upper slide 17, therebyl raising the uppermost arms 14 and their clothes line 13. 1 A continued move'-l that all will be supported on the ball bearing 27 of the slide 21, and also that the telescoping section 20 may be revolved on said bearing. In order that the several sets oi arms may revolve in unison with the revolving of the telescoping section, I provide tor an interlocked engagement between the several slides 17, 18, 19 and the said telescoping section, to which end the collar on each slide that is engaged by the collar on the telescope section isiformed with corrugations indicated at 29 in Fig. 6, and similar corrugations 31a (Fig. 7) are produced on the opposed edges of the collars on the said telescoping section or equivalent means provided to effect an interlocked engagement between the respective collars. `The collars 31, 32, may be secured in any suitable manner as by producing a hole 31b therein to receive a fastening pin to be passed into the section 20. 1t is possible also to raise any slide 17, 18, or 19 so as to disengage it from the telescoping section whereby any individual slide and each set of arms and the clothes line may be revolved independently of the others, the result being that all the sets of arms may be' disposed in cruciform as indicated in Fig. 2, orbe so disposed as to all point in vertical alinement to present the minimum total width in which adjust- .ment the reel is adapted t0 be passed through a door into the house, or be placed close against the house as ona porch for instance. 1f it is not desired to utilize the locking function of collar 81, the latter may be secured with its uncorrugated side uppermost.

For the moving oi the reel and to bring the base into compact forni to correspond with the folded position of the arms, the base members 10 have their, outer ends 10a hinged as at 10b so that the outer portions may be folded into parallelism as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 2. Running rollers or casters 10c may be provided on the outer ends of the folding sections as indicated in Fig, 1.

The respective clothes lines are endless and supported on pulleys 84 which are mounted on the outer ends of their respec- Itive pairs of reel arms. The pulleys are adjustable to vary the distance between the respective pairs; the pulleys are held by lreepers 35 and pins 36 which may be removed to adjust the pulleys, there being provided radial series of holes 37 in the arms 14, 15, etc. (See Fig. 8.)

In order to sustain the respective arms 14, 15, etc., against sagging under the weight of the clothes, the brace arms 38 are provided, preferably in U-shape form as shown in Fig. 9, the U bend of the braces being rockable in eyes 39 of the respective arms. The inner i ends of the braces are receivable in any convenient member as 4:0 on the slides 17, 18, etc., (see Fig. 6), the inner ends being passed through said members and receiving the cotter pins whereby the braces may be detached at their inner ends and permit the arms lel, 15, etc., to fold either upwardly 0r downwardly into approximate parallelism with the main post. T he braces 38 are surrounded near their lower ends by spiral springs al1 which serve to yieldingly sustain the arms and clothes line, the springs bearing at their inner ends against the members l0 of the slides, and at their outer ends against adjusting nuts 112 to vary their tension.

rfhe slides 17, 18, 19 in the example shown consist oi sections 44 (Fig. 6). The adjacent sides oi each section are in the form of webs Zi5 which are integral with the collars 28, 29, etc., the arms 141, 15 etc., being secured as by pivot pins d6 or equivalent to the respective sections 1141. In the illustrated example also (see Fig. 1), the rope from the reel 23 is shown as ruiming into the interior of the fixed post 11 through a hole 11a therein around a lower guide slieave 47 thence to an upper sheave 4:8 on said post, then downward and around a sheave l19 in the fork 21L on the slide 21, and then to any suitable fixture 50 within the post. By the described arrangement, it will be seen that the rope has running engagement with the sheave 49 on the slide 21.

Any suitable means may be provided for turning the reel Q3. 1 have shown devices for giving a ratchet movement to the reel; thus a crank handle 28a on the reel carries a pawl 51 which engages a ratchet 52, there being a second pawl or holding dog 51FL also in engagement with the ratchet. A pull wire 51b may connect with pawl 51 and with a lever 51C tulcrumed on crank handle 28a. The reel may be removed if desired by loosening the bolt 53 on the bearing plates 51 that receive the journals 28h of the reel.

Referring jfiarticularly to Fig. 1, it will be apparent that by reason of the spring pressed brace arms 38, the tension of the springs may be such, and in practice will be such as to maintain the arms 14, 15, etc., at a slight angle above the horizontal, so as to dispose the pulleys at an inclination to the horizontal., to better enable the line with the clothes directly pinned thereon t0 pass around the pulley without the line leaving the said pulleys. IThe arms are swung downwardly under the weight of the clothes, and will finally approach or reach the horizontal position so that the opposite arms of each slide will be diametrically opposite or approximately so. Since as the arms move downwardly from a position at angles to each other toward a position in line with each other, the opposite pulleys 3-1- will be at from leaving the pulleys. The arms 1&1, etc.,

constitute frames for supporting the line pulleys, and when arms are referred to, it is understood that any equivalent frame is meant.

ln the form shown in Figs. 10 to 1-1, a series of frames v55,y 56, 5T corresponding with those previously described are each provided with clothes lines 5S supported on pulleys 59 in the same manner as in the firstconstruction. ll`he arms are carried by tubular slides 61, 62, 63 mounted to revolve on a post 6st which is in practice supported in upper and lower brackets 65, 66, secured to the side or end of the house, the post extending substantially the height of the house or above the floors for which the several lines are intended. The arms are provided with spring pressed braces 3S, similar to the braces 38. IThe slides 61, 62, 63 are successively larger in diameter and designed to telescope when lowered. ln order to raise and lower the several frames, a rope 67 is provided, one end of which is connected with a reel 68 from which the rope passes to a sheave 69 at the top of the building, and over a second sheave 'TO ou the upper bracket 65, to a connection with a loose collar 71 on the highest slide 61 beneath a flange 72 at the top of said slide. At the lower` end of slide 61, a flange 73 is provided, adapted to Contact with an inwardly projecting flange 741 on the upper end of the next lower slide 62, so that after the uppermost slide has moved a given distance, it will engage and carry upward the second slide 62,. Similarly, a flange 75 on the slide 62 will engage a flange 76 on the slide 63 and raise the latter. The several slides and their frames may turn independently on the post 61, but in order to lock the frames in crossed form as in 11, one end of each frame carries a pivoted latch 77, one end being in hooked form, the opposite end being connected with a retractile spring 78. The arrangement is such that the arms may be turned to cause the latch at the end thereof to engage a latch post 79, semi-circular in cross section, there being one of such latch posts at each side of the central post in position to be engaged by the latches, the post 79 being secured by upper and lower brackets 80. The pivot pins S1 of the pulleys 59 may pass through the arms 55 at the ends and through keepers 82 secured to said arms. l prefer to employ additional guard pulleys S3 as in Figs. 13 and 14, for each stretch of the ropes, said pulleys being carried on shafts 8l having bearings 85 on the keepers 82, the guard pulleys thus turning on axes approximately perpendicular to the axes of the main pulleys 59. 'lhe guard pulleys 88, it will be observed, are above the clothes line, that is, the guard pulleys adjacent to a main pulley are above the plane of the said main pulley.

Thus, while the guard pulleys serve to retain the clothes line from slipping Afrom the main pulley as the arms sag downwardly under the weight ofthe clothes, the guard pulleys will not interfere with the endless line and the vclothes directly pinned on the line Ifrom passing around the main pulleys.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In a clothes drier, a support, a series of arms pivotally connected with the support at opposite sides to have a vertical pivotal movement, means on the outer ends of the arms for supporting a clothes line, and yielding braces extending from the arms to the support permitting the arms to yield under the weight of the clothes, the braces being adapted to normally sustain the arms at an angle above the horizontal and permit them to drop downwardly to increase the vdistance between the opposite supporting means for the clothes line.

2. In a clothes drier, a support, a series of arms pivotally mounted at opposite sides thereof to have a vertical pivotal movement, means on the outer ends of the arms for supporting a clothes line, and spring pressed braces pivotally connecting at their outer ends with the arms and yieldingly connecting with the support.

3. In a clothes reel, a post, a slide vertically movable on the post, arms extending in opposite directions from the slide and pivotally connected with the'latter, braces pivotally connected at their outer ends with the arms and slidable at their inner ends in the slides, and springs on the braces normally tending to force the same outward,

tending to raise the arms.

4. A reel comprising a post, ka frame mounted to turn on the post and to slide vertically thereon, pulleys on said frame for carrying a clothes line, a latch post at each side of the reel, and latches on the frame for engaging said latch post.

5. A clothes drier including a frame, pulleys thereon to receive a clothes line, and guard pulleys adjacent to the first mentioned pulleys to prevent displacement of the clothes line, said guard pulleys turning on axes approximately perpendicular to the axes of the first pulleys and located above the plane of the main pulleys.

6. In a clothes drier, a support, arms on the support pivotally supported for movei ment in the vertical plane, means on the -arms for supporting a clothes line, and

yielding means adapted to normally sustain the arms at an upward inclination, said means being yieldable to .the added weight of clothes on the line to permit the arms to' approach a horizontal position.

7. A. clothes drier including a frame, pulleys, and movable elements supporting the pulleys at an inclination to permit the pul- In testimony WhereolI I have signed my leys to automatically adjust themselves to name 'to this Specification n the presence of Aany sag in the line due to the Weight oi the two subscribing Witnesses.

clothes, thereby allowing of the line with JOHN THOMAS PILKINGTON. 5 the clothes directly pinned thereon passing Vtnesses:

freely around the said pulleys Without the MARY E. PILKINGTON,

line being displaced. STEVE. P. LELLMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

